Bringemovies
← Browse Movies
The Source
TITLE DETAILS

The Source

1999-01-23 · 88 min · ★ 5.6

Documentary · History

Traces the Beats from Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac's meeting in 1944 at Columbia University to the deaths of Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs in 1997. Three actors provide dramatic interpretations of the work of these three writers, and the film chronicles their friendships, their arrival into American consciousness, their travels, frequent parodies, Kerouac's death, and Ginsberg's politicization. Their movement connects with bebop, John Cage's music, abstract expressionism, and living theater. In recent interviews, Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kesey, Ferlinghetti, Mailer, Jerry Garcia, Tom Hayden, Gary Snyder, Ed Sanders, and others measure the Beats' meaning and impact.

Open detail page

Trailers are previews, not full movies.

No authorized playback source configured. Use the legal watch options below.

Production details

Directors
Chuck Workman
Production companies
Calliope Films, Thirteen
Countries
United States of America
Status
Released
Revenue
USD 360,895

Top Cast

Johnny DeppJohnny DeppJack Kerouac
Dennis HopperDennis HopperWilliam S. Burroughs
John TurturroJohn TurturroAllen Ginsberg
Allen GinsbergAllen GinsbergSelf (archive footage)
William S. BurroughsWilliam S. BurroughsSelf (archive footage)
Philip GlassPhilip GlassSelf
Robert CreeleySelf
Ann ChartersSelf
George SteadeSelf
David AmramDavid AmramSelf
Ed SandersEd SandersSelf
Gregory CorsoSelf
Kyle RoderickSelf
Lawrence FerlinghettiSelf
Ken KeseyKen KeseySelf
Gary SnyderGary SnyderSelf
Jerry GarciaJerry GarciaSelf
Jack MichelineSelf
Michael McClureSelf
Stephen RonanSelf

Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.

Where to watch

Availability provided by JustWatch via TMDb. Offers can change. Provider links are listed on TMDb; full playback requires a separately authorized source.

Rental

Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

Purchase

Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

Free

Hoopla

View authorized watch options on TMDb

Recommendations

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
★ 6.0
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood2018Documentary

A deliciously scandalous portrait of unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose bestselling memoir chronicled his decades spent as sexual procurer to the stars.

Howard
★ 6.8
Howard2018Documentary

Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.

Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life
★ 6.4
Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life2017Documentary

This compelling Documentary moves beyond the spotlight and past the attention-grabbing headlines to give pop superstar Chris Brown a chance to tell his own story. New interviews with the international phenomenon reveal long-awaited answers about his passion for making music, his tumultuous and much publicized relationships, and the pitfalls of coming of age in the public eye. Also included is new concert footage, behind-the-scenes access, and special interviews from Usher, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Mike Tyson, Jamie Foxx and others.

Come See Me in the Good Light
★ 7.2
Come See Me in the Good Light2025Documentary

In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

I Am Heath Ledger
★ 7.4
I Am Heath Ledger2017Documentary

The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.

Supersonic
★ 7.4
Supersonic2016Documentary · History

Supersonic charts the meteoric rise of Oasis from the council estates of Manchester to some of the biggest concerts of all time in just three short years. This palpable, raw and moving film shines a light on one of the most genre and generation-defining British bands that has ever existed and features candid new interviews with Noel and Liam Gallagher, their mother, and members of the band and road crew.

Welcome to Chechnya
★ 7.0
Welcome to Chechnya2020Documentary

This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ program raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.

Gilbert
★ 6.7
Gilbert2017Documentary

The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
★ 7.5
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski2018Documentary

Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.

David Bowie: Five Years
★ 7.5
David Bowie: Five Years2013Documentary

Featuring a wealth of previously unseen archive, this film looks at how Bowie continually evolved: from Ziggy Stardust to the Soul Star of Young Americans, to the ‘Thin White Duke’. It explores his regeneration in Berlin with the critically acclaimed album Heroes, his triumph with Scary Monsters and his global success with Let’s Dance. With interviews with all his closest collaborators, David Bowie - Five Years presents a unique account of why Bowie has become an ‘icon of our times’.

The Last Repair Shop
★ 7.5
The Last Repair Shop2024Documentary

In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of this city.

Being James Bond
★ 7.8
Being James Bond2021Documentary

Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

For the Love of Spock
★ 7.4
For the Love of Spock2016Documentary

The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
★ 6.9
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound2019Documentary · History

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
★ 7.8
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty2000Documentary

A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

Love, Gilda
★ 7.2
Love, Gilda2018Documentary

Diaries, audiotapes, videotapes and testimonials from friends and colleagues offer insight into the life and career of Gilda Radner -- the beloved comic and actress who became an icon on Saturday Night Live.

Cover-Up
★ 7.2
Cover-Up2025Documentary · History

He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.

The Celluloid Closet
★ 7.3
The Celluloid Closet1996Documentary · History

Exuberant, eye-opening movie that serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Film contains fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s.

9/11: Inside the President's War Room
★ 6.9
9/11: Inside the President's War Room2021Documentary · History

Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.

Everybody’s Everything
★ 8.4
Everybody’s Everything2019Documentary

The story of artist Lil Peep from his birth in Long Island and meteoric rise as a genre blending pop star & style icon, to his death due to an accidental opioid overdose in Arizona at just 21 years of age.

Similar titles

Aussiebum The Story so far... Volume 1
Not rated
Aussiebum The Story so far... Volume 12008Documentary

Over one hour of hot aussieBum reality, digitally re-mastered sound and image - BIGGER, BOLDER, than ever before. Never before seen footage! For the first time aussieBum opens it's vaults on the hottest photoshoots through the years - the ultimate voyeuristic, sensory experience

The Many Lives of Jorge Semprún
★ 6.0
The Many Lives of Jorge Semprún2023Documentary · History

The incredible life of Jorge Semprún (1923-2011): son of a republican intellectual; exiled in the early days of the Spanish Civil War; survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp during World War II; clandestine communist in Spain during Franco's dictatorship; controversial socialist politician; acclaimed writer, screenwriter and filmmaker.

Drawn from Memory
★ 10.0
Drawn from Memory1995Documentary

Fierlinger concentrates his considerable talents as an animator to recount through fragmented memories, vivid recollections, and the occasional evocative photograph his life as the rebellious son of Jan Fierlinger, Czechoslovakian career politician.

Alain Delon, a unique portrait
★ 7.2
Alain Delon, a unique portrait2015Documentary

Biography of a star and figure study : This fascinating portrait is for anyone who wants to know more about the man behind the mask. By the end of the film, you will view this famous French icon in a totally different light. Delon speaks in a series of surprising interviews, spanning nearly 50 years.

Fernando Pessoa
★ 5.0
Fernando Pessoa2007Documentary

The documentary about the life of Fernando Pessoa, defended by journalist Clara Ferreira Alves, underlines how, in just 30 years, Fernando Pessoa built an immense body of work, of astonishing quality and all of this while being nothing more than an anonymous office worker all his life.

Desolate Rome
★ 4.2
Desolate Rome1995Documentary

Chronicles of a male homosexual drug addict in 1980's in voice-over with long take scenes from Rome, television snippets of news of Gulf War and commercials.

Journey to the UFC: Joe Pyfer
Not rated
Journey to the UFC: Joe Pyfer2024Documentary

Following years of surgeries and grueling rehab, Joe makes an unforgettable comeback, earning his spot in the UFC with a spectacular knockout.

Clara Immerwahr
★ 6.8
Clara Immerwahr2014History

Clara Immerwahr and her husband to be Fritz Haber are both young and gifted chemists. Their struggle for acknowledgment in nationalistic Germany during World War I lead to the development and use of the first chemical weapons.

Cell phones P.s. Just a small add on
★ 10.0
Cell phones P.s. Just a small add on2022Documentary

A grandson shows his grandmother how to navigate an iPad 2 full of clues for solving a puzzle. Over a phone call, she recites an email she wrote seven years prior.

James Ensor: Demons Teasing Me
★ 8.0
James Ensor: Demons Teasing Me2010Documentary

This film explains what James Ensor (1860-1949) meant for the development of art and makes palpable where he got his inspiration from.

Genius
★ 6.5
Genius2016History

New York in the 1920s. Max Perkins, a literary editor is the first to sign such subsequent literary greats as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. When a sprawling, chaotic 1,000-page manuscript by an unknown writer falls into his hands, Perkins is convinced he has discovered a literary genius.

Never Turn Your Back On Sparks
Not rated
Never Turn Your Back On Sparks2014Documentary

As he turns 50, filmmaker Pini Schatz sets out to explore his life-long obsession with the band Sparks (the brothers Ron and Russell Mael). Pini charts the impact of Sparks on his life while meeting with fellow Sparks fans, among them famous musicians, in Tel Aviv, London, Berlin, Rotterdam and NYC. Structured as a personal quest of the filmmaker to prove that Sparks are the coolest underrated band in the history of popular music, this docu-comedy explores the universal themes of growing old and being an outsider, the importance of art in daily life and the power of non-conformism.

The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky
★ 4.5
The Diaries of Vaslav Nijinsky2002Documentary

Dramatization of Russian ballet star Vaclav Nijinsky's diaries which detail his madness as well as his homosexual relationship with Ballet Russe impresario Sergei Diaghilev and his marriage to his Hungarian wife.

My Opposition: The Diaries of Friedrich Kellner
Not rated
My Opposition: The Diaries of Friedrich Kellner2007Documentary

One man's foresight and opposition to the Nazis destructive forces and years later the trials and tribulations of his Grandson who would rise above his tragic childhood to share his Grandfather's courageous story.

Viva Zapata!
★ 6.8
Viva Zapata!1952History

The story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the corrupt, oppressive dictatorship of president Porfirio Díaz in the early 20th century.

Jiří Trnka: A Long Lost Friend
★ 6.5
Jiří Trnka: A Long Lost Friend2019Documentary

A story of an extraordinary artist who has unintentionally signed a deal with a devil. Jiří Trnka was one of the biggest Czech artists of the 20th century and one of the founders of the puppet animation. His work demonstrated the world that communist society can provide better conditions for extraordinary artistic creations. The ideological clash between West and East didn’t leave children and their stories apart from their struggle in ideological and political positions.

Louis Kahn's Tiger City
★ 10.0
Louis Kahn's Tiger City2019Documentary

Art historian and filmmaker Sundaram Tagore travels in the footsteps of Louis Kahn to discover how the famed American architect built a daringly modern and monumental parliamentary complex in war-torn Bangladesh.

Poster unavailable
★ 3.3
Cracked Not Broken2005Documentary

Lisa is a middle-class white woman from Toronto, Canada. She's also addicted to crack cocaine. To maintain her habit, she works as a prostitute while living in a hotel room. She's tried to get clean, but knows too well how easy it is to relapse. Meanwhile, she participates in Toronto's needle exchange program to reduce her risk.

Michael Collins
★ 6.9
Michael Collins1996History

Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.

Raging Bull
★ 7.9
Raging Bull1980History

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

Your favorites

Recently viewed

Watch

Choose an authorized server.

Full video from an operator-configured authorized source. Official trailers use a separate player. If a server fails, retry or select another authorized server.

Legal watch options

Official trailer

Trailer preview only. Press Play to start.

Privacy choices

Favorites stay in your browser. Movie images load from TMDb. YouTube trailers contact YouTube only after you allow external media and choose a trailer. Advertising consent, if ads are enabled, is managed separately by the operator’s certified CMP.

Privacy policy

After allowing external media, choose the trailer button to load its player.